Essaouira to Fez

Well have left Essaouira, gone back to Cassablanca, met up with my tour group and am now in Fez.

Essaouira was a good place to hang for a few days and the Gnaoua Festival was pretty interesting. Mainly it attracted a very young and enthusiastic male Morocan audience. Moroccan ladism, if you will. However it also attracted almost everyone else in the community - including women, children families etc. A local Italian woman, who was multi lingual, was good enough to show me round, introduce me to some of her Moroccan friends etc., so it was a hoot. At times though I couldn't work out what all the excitement was with the music. Mainly a good vibe though. The ghost of Bob Marley looms large here, with dreadlocks; ites, green and gold colours; Jamaican themed t-shirts; and the ganja leaf. One local band had a one drop style reggae pop number too. Would love to elaborate on it all, but there isnt time at the moment.

My tour group is largely Australian and also pretty Sydney. There is also a couple of Swiss women and a Canadian guy. Seem like a nice bunch so far, and has been good to catch up with my friend Bruce. This morning we went to the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. It is built on the premise that big is better, at at one level it is quite impressive. Another part of me kept feeling the money would be better spent on improving things in this life rather than contemplating the next. Think I may be over religious buildings. Yes Kate, AFC. The rest of the day was spent getting to Fez and will be off to dinner soon. Anyhow tour should be great.